Uncoupling-lever.



Gi Gu GLPEN,

UNCOUPLING LEVER.

APPLICA'HON man maas, 19:5.

man@ May 2, i916.

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centric era-ortie rumana union.:

laf-. ltll GRFFJLTH GILEN, Ol? RVERSDE, LLXNODIS, SSIGNR TO WALTER MURPHY, DE' CHCAGO, ILLINOES.

UNCUPLNGr-LEVER.

original application filed April 2li, 1912, Serial No. 692,387.

Specification of Letters Patcrit.

Patented allay E, itali. aeaewea november a, reis, terna no. cette.

Divided and this application filed January a6, 1915. Serial No. ,flat-2l.

. at Riverside, in the county of Cook and #State et' illinois, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Uncoupling- Levers, of which the following is a specilication. L

(,)ne 'of the principal objects of the invention is to provide a device of novel construction in which a rigid link is utilized for lifting the locking' pin et the coupler, this link being directly connected with the locking pin and with the operating member ot the uncoupling device by connections which' allow the coupler perfect freedom in its normal intended movements, both lateral and longitudinal., and which furthermore permit an easy, free and unirnpeded ma nipulation of the device during the opera.- tion of raising the locking; pin.

A further object is 'to do away withl clevises, bolts, pins and other parts of like character which are apt to loe injured. or which may be lost when an uncoupling device connirising such parts is detached from the coupling for the purpose, for example, of repairing the latter and at the same time to provide an arrangement whereby the operative connection between the uncoupling` mechanism and the lock pin oi' the coupler is maintained under service conditions and also as against accident to and tampering; with the device. l

A further object is to provide a device of the general character' herein shown which will operate to automatically raise the locking pin upon an abnormal forward move-- ment of the coupler due to the failure of the coupler` or some of its connections.

A further object of the invention is to' provide an uncoupling device which will be very simple in its construction, economical to manufacture, strong, durable and reliable and effective in. its operation.

In the drawings: Figure l is a. fragmentary view in elevation ot the end oi a car with my improved uucoupling .leverl applied. Fig. il a side elevation of Fig, l. lig'. 3 is an enlarged detail trout elevation showing, ,in dotted lines, the coupler pin link in different positions to accommodate i Tthe lateral movement of the coupler. Fig.

d is an enlarged detail side elevation, also showing, in dotted lines, the coupling pin link in diderent positions to accommodate s the forward and rearward movement of the 1 draWba-r in draft' and bull. Figs. 5 and 6, are, views, at right angles to each other, et one form of pin links.

Rei'erencenumeral 9 designates the end .of a car (broken awayl, 10 the dead Wood,

and il the coupler resiliently mounted on the car, all of which may be ont any approved construction.

4The hand operated lever 12 is provided with acrank at each end at right-angles 'to each other, the crank 13, depending belov:l

the underface of the car, when vthe lever.

i "7o dle. lwith which to operate the lever 12 Wlule the crank 14, at the inner end of the.

is attached to the car and serving as al han lever, projects forwardly rornthe car to a. point ina plane perpendicular to the lock pin 15 of the coupler, an eye being formed on the end oli the crank 14e in ahorizontal-v plane. bymeans ot' the brackets 17 and i8 .each provided with lan opening through which the lever passes, said openings being of slightly greater diameter than the lever in order that the lever may have a slight play therein. yl`lie bracket 17 is provided with a stop 19 to limit the inward movement of the lever.' I n The connection between the lever l2 and the lock pin l5 oi' theconpler consists oi? a The lever l2 issecured to 'the car single rigid barlink 2O terminating in hooks' I 2l and` 22 at cach end disposed at right angles to each other, the end of the hook 21 being;` deflected to one sideas clearly shown in Figs. 2, 3, and G. It' will'be observed that the end of hook Z2 norinally stands close to the crank li so that the link can. bel turned or rotated with respect to itsv longitudinal axis to an appreciable extent only in one direct-ion. This permits the lower or deflected hook to be engaged with the lock pin when the apparatus is installed ontthe car, that is before the brackets are attached, and similarly the disengagement of the deflected hook .from the lock pin vprovided the operatingr rbd be dismountcd from the car. On the other hand with the rod in place onthe car there can be no other accidental disenbecause rotation in the opposite direction is necessary before arieh 'disengagement can be effected and this is prevented by the end of the hook 22 striking against the crank 14. 'lhe open hook 22 engages the eye 1G of the lever 12 and forms therewith a flexible joint between the lever and link, while the hook 21 engages the eye 15 of the lock pin and forms therewith a flexible joint. rThe upper end of the link 20 extends loosely through and projects beyond the eye 16 on the crank; the hook 22 providing means for retaining the link in the eye. The under surface of said eye provides a rounded bear- ;tor engagement with said eye 16 on the crank.

rl`he positioning of the flexible joint between the lever and the link in a plane perpendicular to the lock pin enables the link to travel with the coupler forward, under draft strains, and rearward under buff, without any binding or interlocking action between the link and lever, and also permits the link te move sidewise with-the late 'al movements of the coupler without binding or interlocking action between the lever and link; the joint between the lever and link being, in ellect, a universal joint.

in case of extreme forward travel of the draw bar in the event of its breaking or becoming loosened from its n orings, or in the event of the failure of the draft gear yoke or other parts of the draft gear, the link upon reaching the limit of its swinging movement withdraws the lock pin and permits the yknuckle of the coupler to open thus uncoupl'ing the two couplers and relieving the damaged draw bar from further pull and permitting it to remain in some of its bearings suspended' from the car, thus 'eliminating the danger incident to its dropping on the road bed.

rlhis is a divisional application of my apjilication liled April Q11-, `1912, Serial No. 692,837-, renewed as Serial No. 60,419, Nov.

'8, 1915. l do not claim in this application the invention common to this application and my co-pending application, Serial No. (38,211, filed Deo. 22, 1915 as such generic invention' is claimed in said application, Series No. (38.211, which is a division of thel atorementioned application, Serial No. 592,837. y

I claim: n

1. ln con'ibination, a car, a. coupler resilient-ly mounted on the car and having a lock lpin which is raised to unlock the same, and

a release rigging comprising a revoluhle rod formed with a crank having an eye, a rigid link provided at its lower end with an open hook the end portion olf which is 4dellected from the plane of the link and the rest of the hook, the upper portion of the link extending and vertically slidable inthe eye of the crank and provided with'means forming a stop adapted to bear against the crank so( as to limit the axial rotation of the link in the direction which would allow disengagement of the link, lo prevent such disengagement.

2. in combination, a car. a coupler resiliently mounted on the car, a lock pin which is raised to unlock the same, and a release rigging comprising a revoluhlev rod l'oriucd with a crank having an c ye, a rigid link capable of vertical movement with respect to the lock pin provided at its lower end with an open hook the end portion of which is deflected from the plane ol tlul link and the rest of the hook, and with a return bend at its upper end extending through `said eye and forming a stop adapted to engage the crank to prevent revolution on a substantially vertical axis of the link in the direction which would allow the disengagement olE the hook from the lock pin,A

3. In a release rigging for rcsiliently mounted car couplers having a lock pin which is raised .to unlock the same. an operating rod, a crank on said rod, a. rigid lilik flexibly connected with the crank and rotatable about its longitudinal axis to be connected to and :from the lock pin, and means to prevent laxial rotation of the link in, the direction which would allow disengagement of the link from the lock pin when mounted on a car.

Ll. In a release rigging'for a resiliently mounted car coupler ha`ving a lock pin which is raised to unlock th j; same, an operating rod provided with a crank having an eye, a rigid link rotatably mounted and ver tieally slidable in. said eye, an open hook at the lower end of said link the end portion of which is deflected from the plane ol the link whereby the link must be given an approximately spiral movement to connect and disconnect said open hook to and from the lock pin, and means constituting a stop between the link and said crank so as to prevent the rotatie-n on a substantially vertical axis of the link in the direction which would allow its disengagement i'rom the lock pin when mounted on a car.

5. ln. con'ilfiination with a car, and a coupler resiliently mounted on thocar having a lock pin provided with an eye, ol. a release rigging-comprising a rod rcvolubly mounted on the car and having a crank, a single link having an open hook at its lower end to extend through said eye, and a connection between the link and crank permitting the link to swing angularly in all directions and to move in the direction ol' its length with respect to the crank but preventing rotation ol.' the link with respect to the crank a distance sullicient to cause a disengagement hctwecn said hook and lock pin.

(i. ln a car coupler uncoupling device, the combination with the lock pin of the coupler having an eje, ol' an ojierating rod rotatably mounted on a car, a lever on said its lower end in a hook extending trans.

over said pin,

I 1,181,952 mi rodprojecting forwardly from the'end of the car and extending over the coupler and terminating in an eye disposed vertically a 'single rigid link connecting the eye of the crank with the eye of the locklng pin; said linkterminatng at its upper end in a return bend portion for engagement with the eye of the lever, and terminating at versely of the coupler and engaging, the lock pin eyefthe joints between the said eyes and the .said link constituting flexible joints which permit of the normal longitudinal and transversemovements of the 'coupler with out imposing strain on said lever.

7. In a release rigging fir an automatic rar coupler, the combination withan uncon- 'pling rod revolubly mounted on the end-of the car and having a depending crank at its outer end and a crank arm at its inner endv extending forwardly from the car to a point over the couplerhead, and at right angles to the depending crank and terminating in an eye, of a bar link terminating in a hook at each end, the hook at one end loosely engaging the eye of the uncoupling rod crank to permit of a vertical movement of the link relative to said eye while the hook at the other end of said link engages the eye of the locking pin.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.y

GARTH GRFFITH GILPllN. Witnesses:

rC. A. STONE, G. A. RAU. 

